Juneteenth

From the San Antonio Express-News Photograph Collection

https://web.lib.utsa.edu/special-collections/photographs/gallery/view/80917

Juneteenth – also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day – is a holiday celebrating the emancipation of African Americans who had been enslaved in the United States. Although the emancipation proclamation was signed almost two and a half years earlier, the news of this important decision didn’t reach Texas until June 19th, 1865. Now, Juneteenth is celebrated annually on June 19th and has become a time for celebration. People honor Juneteenth in many ways from parties and parades to memorials and lessons. However it’s celebrated, it’s a time to share stories of resilience, resistance, and liberation, and to uplift Black joy. 

From the National Museum of African American History & Culture: Understanding & Celebrating Juneteenth